The Irish standard., 1887-04-23

not only in Ireland, but also in Eng
land and Scotland, for, whenever that
additional repressive legislation was to
be carried out in Ireland, it required
immense sums to be taken out of the
British and Irish taxpayers pockets
for extra police expenses, extra salaries
for magistrates, and other items Of ex-
penditure peculiar to coercive legisla-
ton. Worse than that, coercion was
ever and always the parent of crime
and assassination. not only in Ireland,
but everywhere force tried to suppress
constitutional principles, as they saw
in the struggles for liberty Of Hungar-
ians. and Bulgarians and the Italians.
He,chalIenged contradiction in saying
now what he had said in leaving
prison in 1882, that the awful murders
il, Phosnix Park were directly due to
snd.inspired by the coercive policy of
the late Mr.. Forster. (Hear, hear, and
cheers. and voice, mo. no.'D He
was not displeased with the gentleman
who said ''No, no. but he was speak
ing with fuller knowledge Of the Anglo
Irish question, and the bitter passions
evoked in fighting that issue during the
past ten years. than perhaps any man
present, and he asserted that if justice,
reason and common sense had prevailed
in 1881, instead of the cry for coercion,
those deplorable crimes would not have
stained the annals Of that unhappy
country, lie asserted more-to that
policy of coercion and force may be at
tributed the parentage Of those dyna-
mite outrages shat took place in 1882
and 1888. Yet that policy, With its sad
results. was again to be enforced, and
this time not only against the represen-
tation and voice OF the vast maiority'nf
the elected members of Parliament for
ireland, but against the protest of Mr.
Gladstone and all who followed him in
the present Parliament. The Tories
said, but we will bring in land bill
Immediately after our coercion bill is
introduced. That was assiniue stupid.
ity. Tbs Irish people had cons antly
and rightly spurned paltry concessions
that had come with coercion, aud they
would continue to do SO to the bitter end.
MI. Chamberlain said he would sup
port this coercion Of the Tories, al
though in principle he was against it.
What man was more eager in denounc-
ing coercion than Mr.. Chamberlain in
1881 and 1882, When far greater num-
begtof outragss we're taking place in
ireland? But MIR Chamberlain at that
time was one Of the great Radical lead
ers. But now ne found himself behind
a miserable coercive Tory government.
To show the audience what it really
meant Mr. Davitt proceeded to give a
description OF the system of Dublin
Castle rule in Ireland, and asked if such
existed in Scotland, if Englishmen sup
planted the present administration Of
Scotch affairs and Scotch officials, would
they submit to such a government? AS
to crime in Ireland, no crime but agra
,ian had q hold in ireland, and if they
wanted to see all end put to agrarian
crimes in Ireland. let them help the
Irish leaders and help Mr. Gladstone
to nut only abolish the SYSTEM OF dual
ownership of land in Ireland, but at the
same time to settle the kindred ques-
ton OF national self-government. be
cause these two great problems were
so dovetailed into each ether that the
settlement Of one without the settle
ment Of the other would not settle but
pro]ong the struggle between the people
Of Ireland and England. The Tory
government were going to settle the
land question now, but let chem remem-
Der this-the present Tory government
was par excellence d landlord govern
me1,t, and it was very anxious for the
landlords of Ireland that terms of
purchase should be effected while they
are in power. They wanted to coerce
the Irish farmers into bargains of
purchase which would transfer to the
state in future. to the taxpayers of
Great Britain, the trouble and response
bility of collecting the annual payments
which the landlords of Ireland incurred
now in collecting their rents. The Irish
people confidently appealed to Scotch
men to stand by justice and Gladstone
against coercion and Salisbury. He
asked the meeting would they help the
people of Ireland to overturn injustice
and vindicate right, and the victory
would avail both countries? cloud
cries of "We will, we WILL" and en-
thusiastic cbeers) Mr.. Young pro-
posed, and Rev. Howie Wylie seconded,
vote of thanks to Nh. Davitt for his
address, which was accorded with great
enthusiasm and the singing of HE is a
jolly good fellow" by the company.
JOHN BOYLE O'REJLLY, through the
medium Of his paper. denies that be is
interested in the book. 'sPoetry and
Songs Of Ireland and explains his con-
nectio11 with the work thus: 'sN1r.